Method and device manager for controlling program components in a network device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020351152-A1
Application number	US-201716642896-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 15, 2017
Priority date	Sep 15, 2017
Publication date	Nov 5, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and device manager for controlling program components in a network device, wherein the network device is used for handling data traffic in a communication network. First, the device manager identifies, out of a set of predefined policies, a policy comprising rules which determine how the network device should operate when handling data traffic. Then, program components required to fulfil the identified policy are identified and existing program components present in the network device are determined. The device manager further pushes any of the required program components being absent in said existing program components, to the network device. Thereby, any network device(s) can be configured and/or upgraded automatically according to appropriate predefined policies, requiring a minimum of manual work. The predefined policies can also easily be modified or extended to deploy new and/or upgraded functions.

First claim

1 . A method performed by a device manager for controlling program components in a network device, wherein the network device is used for handling data traffic in a communication network, the method comprising:
identifying a policy out of a set of predefined policies, the identified policy comprising rules which determine how the network device should operate in the communication network; identifying program components required to fulfil the identified policy; determining existing program components present in the network device; and pushing to the network device one or more of the required program components absent in said existing program components in the network device.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said one or more required program components absent in the existing program components are determined from a difference between the required program components and the existing program components.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is performed when detecting that the network device has joined the communication network, or when detecting that a policy affecting the network device has been added, removed, or changed.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the added, removed or changed policy is valid for one or more of: an identity of the network device, a type of the network device, a model of the network device, and a manufacturer of the network device.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the identified policy is valid for one or more of: an identity of the network device, a type of the network device, a model of the network device, and a manufacturer of the network device.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the policies in the set of predefined policies have priorities so that a policy with a first priority overrides a conflicting policy with a second priority lower than the first priority.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the existing program components comprises querying the network device to identify its existing program components or retrieving information on the existing program components from a data storage.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the required program components are to be executed in a dataplane of the network device to perform operations related to one or more of: switching, forwarding, routing, firewalling, caching, and packet inspection.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the communication network is a Software Defined Network (SDN).

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the device manager obtains from a program component provider required program component or components that need to be pushed to the network device.

11 . A device manager arranged to control program components in a network device, wherein the network device is used for handling data traffic in a communication network, wherein the device manager comprising:
a processor; and a memory containing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the device manager to perform operations to:
identify a policy out of a set of predefined policies, the identified policy comprising rules which determine how the network device should operate in the communication network;
identify program components required to fulfil the identified policy;
determine existing program components present in the network device; and
push to the network device one or more of the required program components absent in said existing program components in the network device.

12 . The device manager according to claim 11 , wherein the device manager is configured to determine said one or more required program components absent in the existing program components from a difference between the required program components and the existing program components.

13 . The device manager according to claim 11 , wherein the device manager is configured to operate when detecting that the network device has joined the communication network, or when detecting that a policy affecting the network device has been added, removed or changed.

14 . The device manager according to claim 13 , wherein the added, removed, or changed policy is valid for one or more of: an identity of the network device, a type of the network device, a model of the network device, and a manufacturer of the network device.

15 . The device manager according to claim 11 , wherein the identified policy is valid for one or more of: an identity of the network device, a type of the network device, a model of the network device, and a manufacturer of the network device.

16 . The device manager according to claim 11 , wherein the policies in the set of predefined policies have priorities so that a policy with a first priority overrides a conflicting policy with a second priority lower than the first priority.

17 . The device manager according to claim 11 , wherein the device manager is configured to determine the existing program components by querying the network device to identify its existing program components or by retrieving information on the existing program components from a data storage.

18 . The device manager according to claim 11 , wherein the required program components are to be executed in a dataplane of the network device to perform operations related to one or more of: switching, forwarding, routing, firewalling, caching, and packet inspection.

19 . The device manager according to claim 11 , wherein the communication network is a Software Defined Network, SDN.

20 . The device manager according to claim 11 , wherein the device manager is configured to obtain from a program component provider required program component or components that need to be pushed to the network device.

21 - 22 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Vidal Allan
• Rostami Ahmad
• Santos Mateus

Classifications

• H04L41/0894

  Policy-based network configuration management · CPC title

• H04L41/0895

  Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements · CPC title

• H04L41/082 Primary

  the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality · CPC title

• H04W24/02 Primary

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title

• H04L41/0893

  Assignment of logical groups to network elements · CPC title